Can we take a second to talk about unsolicited nudes, please?

The title of this article may well be unsolicited nudes, but we all know what we are mostly talking about, don’t we? You have been chatting with a guy for a couple of days and almost totally out of the blue (pun intended) he sends you a picture of his erect penis. This has become a generational norm, but is it as common as we think?

Have you had a “dick pic”?

So a recent survey performed by The Versed asked the simple question, have you ever received unsolicited nude photos. The results were fascinating. More than half of the people asked said that they have. In the modern world, it is easier to send such items, electronic mail and messenger apps make it easy to carry out such a task. So it would seem then that a good majority of us have had the displeasure (you know, unless that is your thing…wow so many easy innuendos!)

Is it just guys?

Here is where things got more interesting. Out of the 75 people that took part in the survey 45 claimed to have received pornographic images. Only ten of them (less than 25%) were men. Meaning that it is largely an issue for the fairer sex. It would have been interesting to gauge the reaction to the men who received the unwanted images. Trying to see whether it bothered them or not. Fortunately, some of the women who took part were more than happy to share their views on the subject.

How these pictures are received?

One lady regaled a story about how a 13-year-old friend of the family was sent a disturbing image. Which in itself is quite terrifying but then went on to tell me about the shame that this poor girl had felt due to having received it. She hadn’t done anything but felt guilty about being sent images that she in no way asked for. Scary, right?

Another lady commented “This is the last thing I want to unexpectedly open. It makes me cringe that people can be so bold to think that sending these will spark conversation of any kind. However, I do think that it shows a lack of respect for themselves and makes me wonder whether there is a much deeper issue… low self-esteem at the very least. Those seeking acceptance in this way will only receive a rejection from me!”

But is this becoming a norm?

I know it is a scary prospect but it would appear it is becoming more normalised. Especially judging by the number of young women who talked about it in a flippant manner. Internet dating seems to be far more commonplace these days, almost usurping regular dating. It has to bring to mind this question – If a guy just dropped his trousers and got his manhood out on a regular date, would that be okay? I think we all know the answer to this question.

So what for the future

With this becoming more and more normalised and almost never reported to the police is it getting to the point where we just all enter ourselves onto some kind of register? No need for a picture of our face just our genitalia. Women can peruse and see which looks like it might offer them the most pleasure. (Or the least diseases!) I happen to think that there is still a bit more romance than that left in the world. However, I do think men (and women) who post unsolicited pictures should be named and shamed. We should be allowed to look at our phones at work without the fear of being sent a picture of some random persons private parts.